Spey Fishing in the Midwest on the tributaries of the Great Lakes offer unique challenges to the dedicated “swinger”. Below are some equipment recommendations that will help any angler of the two-handed persuasion fish longer and more effectively. Good luck on the water and don’t forget to spike that coffee with a little maple syrup before hitting the water.
Spey Reels
Ross FS 7/8, 9/10 (Pictured Left) MSRP $695
The Ross FS Reel features a semi-caged design that combats line slipping between the spool and reel frame, which is a critical element when using thin diameter shooting lines in a spey system. Additionally, the FS is available in sizes 7/8 and 9/10 which have enough capacity for bulky shooting head without too much weight. We recommend going with the 9/10 on 7+ weight rods, and rods over 12ft in length.
Abel Rove 5/7, 7/9, 9/11 (Pictured Right) MSRP $795+
The Abel Rove has a super smooth cork drag system with a full cage design to eliminate line slippage altogether. The Rove has more heft than the FS which is great for balancing longer spey rods. The 7/9 is great for most Great Lake Spey set ups, but for customers running larger rigs you can size up to the 9/11 or 11/12, and size down to the 5/7 or 4/6 for trout spey setups.
Spey Rods
Scott Swing 9’8” 4pc. 7wt, 8wt (Not Pictured) MSRP $1095
The NEW Scott Swing series has a rod model for almost every angler on any body of water chasing anadromous species. The 9’8” models are no exception, these rods a designed to float bobbers like single hand rods, while also giving anglers the option to utilize single hand spey techniques to chase the swing bite on tighter water. Pairs well with a compact shooting head like the Airflo Skagit Scout but can still toss standard single hand lines making it a true Swiss-Army Knife for the Midwest Steelheader.
Scott Swing 11’8” 4pc. 4wt, 6wt (Pictured Left) MSRP $1395
The 11’8” length in the Scott Swing offers more leverage and feel and is adaptable to both Scandi and Skagit depending on the water and flies your fishing. The 4wt is very playful rod designed to fit the Trout Spey niche for average sized fish. The 6wt on the other hand has enough to tangle with larger fish and super fun on smaller Great Lakes tribs.
Echo OHS 10’4” 4pc. 6wt, 7wt, 8wt (Pictured Middle) MSRP $499
The Echo O.H.S. is a departure from typical spey rods for swinging flies. The short 10’4” length makes it compact and highly versatile for not only swinging flies but also drifting bobbers when the bite is slow. The O.H.S. pairs well with the Airflo Skagit Scout head, especially for smaller tributaries.
Echo Compact Spey 12’0” 4pc. 6wt, 7wt, 8wt (Pictured Right) MSRP $549
The Echo Compact Spey is ole’ reliable as a Skagit stick for swinging the Great Lakes. A great workhorse for Fall and Spring runs. One of our favorite rods to utilize the Airflo Skagit Comp F.I.S.T. with to swing deep and find the big ones on bottom.
Lines & Shooting Heads
Airflo Skagit Comp F.I.S.T. (Pictured Left) MSRP $59.99
The Skagit Comp F.I.S.T. (Floating, Intermediate, Sink Tip) shooting head is a triple density head for anglers trying to get deep and slow down their swing. Available grain weights start at 450 grains and go up to 720 grains. Pairs best with Airflo’s salmon sinking poly leaders.
Airflo Skagit Scout (Pictured Middle) MSRP $59.99
The Skagit Scout shooting head is the most compact head available from Airflo, coming in at 15.5ft. A great shooting head for swing tighter Great Lakes Tributaries, especially with switch and single hand rods. Available grain weights start at 150 and go to 540 grains. Pairs well with both Airflo’s salmon polyleaders and flo tips. For larger spey set ups consider the Skagit Driver shooting head.
Airflo Ridge 2.0 Running Line (Pictured Right) MSRP $54.99
The new ridge 2.0 textured shooting line helps shoot line further and increases line speed. Additionally, the super low stretch core aids in hook sets on the swing. A coated shooting line is often easier to handle especially for beginners or anglers wearing gloves. Available in three sizes 20lb (chartreuse), 30lb (red), and 50lb (magenta), 90 ft in length.
Leaders
Airflo Flo Tips (Pictured Left) MSRP $26.99
The Flo Tips are our favorite sink tip for swinging flies, featuring two lengths 10ft or 12ft and various sink rates. The Flo Tips have 2.5 ft of blue intermediate and 7.5ft or 9.5ft of T7, T10, T14, or T18. Looped on both sides and features a color-coded ID tag to keep your system organized. Tips are the most essential part of a swing setup, just like adding weight or adjusting your bobber on a nymph rig. Also available in set which retails for $124.99.
Airflo Salmon Polyleaders (Pictured Right) MSRP $9.99-13.99
Available in 5ft, 8ft, 10ft lengths for the standard 24lb core polyleaders. The extra strength salmon leaders have 40lb core strength and come in 10ft and 14ft. These polyleaders come in sink rates from floating (clear) to extra fast sink making them adaptable to any fishing scenario.
Fly Patterns
Ishiwata’s Super Snitch (Pictured Left)
Available in Purple/Brown and Olive/Orange, the Super Snitch is tied on a beaded jig hook with a trailer. Leechy and plenty of hook what’s not to like? For anglers fishing restricted streams I recommend cutting off the front hook.
Ishiwata’s Grandmaster Flash (Pictured Middle)
Available in Olive, White, and Black the Grandmaster Flash gets deep with lead eyes and fishes well as baitfish pattern.
Moo Shu Muddler (Pictured Right)
A souped up take on the muddler minnow, that flat out fishes. Need we say more?
